A cerebral aneurysm is an area in which a cerebral artery is partially ballooned to cause subarachnoid hemorrhage. Known treatment for a cerebral aneurysm includes, for example, coil embolization. In the treatment using coil embolization, two catheters in a double-tube structure are inserted from the femoral artery in the groin, passed through the main artery, and introduced to a cerebral aneurysm in the head. Then, for example, an embolization material such as a platinum coil is pushed into the cerebral aneurysm through the two catheters in a double-tube structure. As a result, the embolization material blocks blood from flowing into the cerebral aneurysm thereby preventing rupture of the cerebral aneurysm.
FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a medical instrument 100 for use in coil embolization.
Referring to FIG. 9, medical instrument 100 includes Y connectors 110 and 120, a guiding catheter 130, a microcatheter 140, and a delivery wire 150. Microcatheter 140 and guiding catheter 130 form a double-tube catheter with guiding catheter 130 as an outer tube and microcatheter 140 as an inner tube. Guiding catheter 130 accommodates microcatheter 140. Delivery wire 150 is inserted through microcatheter 140. A coil (not shown) for embolizing a cerebral aneurysm is connected at the tip end of delivery wire 150.
Guiding catheter 130 is connected at the left end in FIG. 9 of Y connector 120. Microcatheter 140 and delivery wire 150 are inserted through the inside of Y connector 120. Microcatheter 140 is connected at the left end in FIG. 9 of Y connector 110. Delivery wire 150 is inserted through the inside of Y connector 110.
When coil embolization is performed using medical instrument 100, guiding catheter 130 is inserted into an artery of the human body until the tip end thereof reaches the vicinity of a cerebral aneurysm. Microcatheter 140 is pushed forward from the tip end of guiding catheter 130 into the cerebral aneurysm. A coil is pushed out of microcatheter 140 reaching the inside of the cerebral aneurysm and is pushed into the cerebral aneurysm.
A conventional manipulation method using medical instrument 100 shown in FIG. 9 will now be described.
Medical instrument 100 is manipulated by one or two operators. In the case where a single operator manipulates medical instrument 100 (which case is called “two hands”), the operator grips a grip portion 161 in the vicinity of the right end in FIG. 9 of Y connector 120 with the left hand while gripping a grip portion 162 in the vicinity of the right end in FIG. 9 of Y connector 110 with the right hand. The operator manipulates advancement/retraction of microcatheter 140 while gripping Y connector 120 with the left hand. On the other hand, the operator manipulates advancement/retraction of delivery wire 150 while gripping Y connector 110 with the right hand.
In the case where two operators manipulate medical instrument 100 (which case is called “four hands”), an operator manipulates advancement/retraction of delivery wire 150 with the right hand while gripping Y connector 110 with the left hand. Another operator, who is an assistant, manipulates advancement/retraction of microcatheter 140 with the right hand while gripping Y connector 120 with the left hand.
A conventional method of manipulating a medical instrument for use in coil embolization is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 below. Patent Document 1 discloses an insertion device operated to insert a delivery wire into a human body through a blood vessel. The insertion device includes a foot switch for generating and outputting a signal to control starting/stopping a drive device moving the delivery wire in its longitudinal direction, an insertion force sensor operative to measure longitudinally compressive force exerted to the delivery wire, and a speaker and a display for informing an operator of the compressive force measured by the insertion force sensor.